I hope to add some think for discussions and conversations writing this thread

For first my experience: in the last 2 years I've worked on many little projects (paid), my clients are
indipendent developers from many countries. An indie team has not many developers and small budgets, they develop
little games (casuals, puzzles and platforms) and they work on really smart and innovative gameplays. It does not mean that some indieteam does'not try a jump to aaa industry, means they need to self-financing their projects

1) I think a composer/sound designer can work just for indipendent developers if he has many many clients
and maybe collaborations with portals, But today I don't think that's the way to AAA industry, plus. after works
and conversations with many developers from many countries still I don't know what's the way to AAA industry for a composer
or sound designer.

2) Money are importants: I think is hard to choose the way of being a composer/sound designer as first career in indie developer field...but not impossible. If you're young you can accept to live some hard day planning your goals and working
on little projects.

3) My personal opinion about a good break into indie world is that you have to become a "casual composer". Every guy playing andcomposing music likes a style, but the requests are many many different: rock, house music, orchestral music, ethnic, hiphop world music etc...I'm sure Jeremy Soule has not many house music tracks in his CV, but this is the real life :-).

Technically the way to do that is to focus our music skills on dedicated hardware or software for every music style imho.
For example if you make your tracks with software you can work on house-music with a deep study on Fruity-loops, or Stylus rmx, on ethnic learning to use the akai libraries (choosing a not too expensive solution).

A smart tip is to listen retrogames music learning how you can produce it (what synthesizer, what electronic drums, etc....many indie developers love it .

of course you have to improve your skills in sfx and sound-design...you can solve two issues for an indie team. Music and sounds..

walking on this way I hope to tell you other good informations about it...I hope to write about it like a really right way for a good career...now I'm honest, I don't know yet..but if you're sure about your talent and you're young, I think you have to try